Did you try the different steering line positions on the tips to slow down the turning? I have the Core 17m Free and noticed a big difference in response when I moved rear lines. Different bridle positions on front line offer adjustment of bar feedback, not tried this yet. Have 9, 11 & 13.5m XR5s which I'm keen to use.

There’s a pretty big jump from my 19m down to my 12m and I considered going for a 6-9-11-13.5 quiver, but trying the 19m at their HQ made me go 6-9-12-19 instead. All the sizes in range are so versatile, the 6m just parks in 30+ knots and the 19m turns better than any large kite I know of, and the wind range on all of them is stellar.

First, I’d say that the most impressive bit is the fact that I have just as much fun (on the same bar!) battling the wind on the 6m as I do working the 19m in 8 or 9 knots. I do not understand how Core manages to accomplish this and it is what I hear from other users as well, but i’m impressed and grateful that they have. Once wind speed gets up past 14 knots on my 19m things get really interesting and I haven’t gone to the 20 knot max yet, that Core states. I live in an area with quite gusty conditions once the average ticks above 18 knots and I don’t feel completely familiar with my entire quiver just yet. But in 10-14 knots I’m like the fat guy on the disco floor that no one can keep up with, when I come cruising by. It’s great! While the 19m is not that much fun to throw around (it is after all a very big kite) I really cannot emphasise just how much fun I’ve had this summer during sunny days with seemingly no wind, mostly because I get the beach all to myself. I get going in as little as 8 knots and I’m on a 144x43 all-round (not a LW!) board.

With respect to turning speed and bar feel: both tips and bridle have settings that I hope those who demo play around with as much as possible. IT HAS A DRAMATIC EFFECT ON TURNING SPEED AND BAR PRESSURE IN EITHER DIRECTION. The XR5 (or the Sensor bar for that matter) is not a kite you instantly fall in love with after an hour or two of riding at demo. I honestly don’t know of a kite that manages to do that unless you’re a complete imbecile who buys into the marketing talk. You should get to know it over the course of AT LEAST 2 sessions because it really rewards you when you’ve put some work into it. I can guarantee that.

I sold off all my bruised old gear and spent about 6 years worth of kite savings to do a full upgrade. I spent months doing my homework with the obvious fear that I might waste all my hard earned cash, so I’m very interested to see and hear from other users because I do feel like an annoying fanboy talking about this kite. Is it just me? I try my best to leave ego and confirmation bias at home and just let the gear do the talking, and honestly, I have nothing bad to say about it. It’s that simple. I’m set for years to come with this quiver..